Implement assembly for rotary tillers



Nov. 13, 1951 A. o. ZORN 2,574,772 I IMPLEMENT ASSEMBLY FOR ROTARY TILLERS Filed Sept. 23, 1949 lNVENTOR ALLEN O.ZORN

Patented Nov. 13, 1951 x IMPLEMENT ASSEMBLYVFOR ROTARY 1 TIYLLERSW I i AllenO. Zorn, Brillion, Wis, assignor to Ariens Y 'Company, Brillion, Wis.

Application September 23, 1949, Serial No. 117,320

This invention appertains to rotary, tillers, cultivators and the like, of the type shown in the patent of Mando S.,Ariens, No. 2,364,043, of December 5, 1944, and is an improvement on the mounting of the tines or earth working blades as illustrated, in the pending Ariens application,

' Serial No. 702,969, filed October 12, 1946.

One of the primary objects of the, present invention, is to provide a' novel and simple means for detachably mounting the ground working tines or blades on the rotary shaft of a cultivator unit, whereby the blades can be quickly and conveniently removed for re-sharpening and the like.

provide means whereby theblades will be properly and accurately spaced and at the desired angle relative to one another on the shaft.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a durable and efficient means for permitting any desired number (within certain limits) of the blades to be associated with the shaft for rotation therewith.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel ground working member for efiiciently acting on the soil and for quick attachment to the tiller shaft formed. from a single piece of metal and embodying a fiat hub having a poly-j gonal bore and outwardly-extendingblades disposed on opposite sides of the diametric center of the hub, the blades being sharpened on one edge and curved in opposite directions from the hub for covering the relatively wide area of ground. j

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower end of a tiller unit constructed in-accordance with this invention, the parts shown-insection being taken on the line l-l of Figure 2,

looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the tiller unit taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view illustrating the novel formation of the ground working implements or blades.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows disclosing the arrangement of the internal supporting sleeve and the external spacing washer sleeve.

Another salient object of the invention is to 2 Claims. (01. 97-22 Figure'4 is a section similar to Figure 3, but

taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the collar for the outermost ground working implement or blade carried by the assembly screw.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter U indicates a fragment of a tiller unit of the type shown in the Ariens pending application, heretofore mentioned, and as illustrated the tiller unit includes a short tiller shaft or hub 5 having formed or keyed centrally thereto a sprocket wheel 6. The sprocket wheel 6 forms means for permitting the driving of the tiller shaft 5. The shaft 5 is preferably hollow with its ends internally threaded, as at 1, for a purpose, which will later appear. On each side of the sprocket 6, the shaft is provided with roller bearings 8, and these bearings are received in bearing caps 9, which are fitted in the opposite sides of a hollow arm or casting I0. Between the tiller shaft 5 and the bearing caps .9, and on opposite sides of the bearings, can be placed oil retaining rings II. A lock washer l2 can be threaded on the outer ends of the shaft against the caps 9 for holding the bearings in place.

In accordance with this invention, novel means I3 is provided for detachably securing and looking a desired number of ground working implements 14 to the opposite ends of the shaft 5. This means 13 will be specifically set forth.

Attention is directed to the novel earth working implements l4, and these implements can be constructed in various manners. Each implement is preferably formed from tool steel and includes a flat hub l5 having an axial polygonal bore 15. The bore is preferably of a hexagonal shape. Extending outwardly from the opposite sides of the hub l5, are blades l6 and as clearly shown in Figure 2, the blades lie on opposite sides of the diametric center of the hub 15. The blades have their leading edges sharpened as at IT and the blades are curved in opposite directions as at l8 from the hub. The outer ends of the blades are preferably tapered to a point as at 19.

The novel means 13 for connecting the blades 14 with the opposite ends of the shaft include a series of external spacer washer sleeves 20. These sleeves are all of the same length and each include a polygonal bore 2|, preferably of a hexagonal shape in cross section. In accordance with the invention, the outer faces of the ends of the shaft 5 are of a polygonal shape, as indicated by the reference character 22, and in the present in- 3 stance, of a hexagonal shape in cross section. The shaft ends 22 are of a size to fit snugly within the polygonal bore 2| of a spacer washer sleeve 20. In conjunction with the external spacer washer sleeve 20, I employ internal supporting sleeves 23.

In conjunction with the washer sleeves and the internal supporting sleeve"23, I employ an axially disposed assembly screw 24: This screw includes an enlarged head 25 and a threaded shank 26. A portion of the shank just inward of'- the head 25 is left round and smooth as at 2'|' forthe reception of a rotatable collar 28. This collar has its outer surface of a polygonal shape and preferably hexagonal.

The outer face of the'sup porting sleeve 23, is also of a polygonal shape" and preferably hexagonal and'the' outer-surfaces of the shaft ends 22, the supporting sleeve 23 and the collar 28 are all of the exact same-size,

for a purpose which WlllfllSO later appear.

To hold the collar 23 in place against longitu'dinal'movement'onthe screw-'24; a split-ring 29 -is'sprung in an annular'groove in the shank ofthe screw against the collar. ment, the screw can be turned without rotation of the collar 28."

Theassembly 13 for each shaft-end is identical and the parts'areassembled as follows:

One-=ground working implement i4 is placed upon-the polygonalend- 22- of" the shaft after which *one spacer washer sleeve 28' is slid on the shaft and against'the implement soas to force the implement in tight contact with a shouldered portion of the shaft "and the lock washer 2; The supporting sleeve- 23 is now slid into the spacer washer sleeve 28', after which thenext ground working implement is slid-on the "-sleeve"'23- against thespacer washer sleeve 20-.- The second spacer washersleeveZEl can now be slid on the supporting sleeve 23againstthe ground working implement. The-third and final ground working implement is placed on the collar 28" of the as-' sembly-screw 24 and the assembly'screw'is placed against rotation during the tightening of "the screw. Thus, the entire assembly is held in" place by the tightening of the single assembly screw and by using screws of different lengths and the desired number of spacer and supporting sleeves, a desired number of groundworking implements can 'be utilized with the tiller shaft. In the present instance, I have shown three ground working implements carried by each end of the shaft. It is to be also understood-that less ground working implements can be "employed should such be preferred.

Due to the hexagonal shape of the shaft ends 22, the supporting sleeve 23 and the'collar 28, the

ground working implements can be readilyheld against movement relative to one another and at a desired angle relative to one another;

By thisarran'ge- Much stress is laid on the formation of the ground working implements l4 and due to the construction thereof, the same can be readily made and sharpened and the same will effectively work a relatively large area of ground, in view of their oppositely extending curved ends.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit 'or" the" scope' of this invention, but'whatI claim as new'is:

1. A rotary cultivator tiller unit comprising a rotatable tiller shaft having an internally threaded'bore and polygonal terminals, a ground workingimplement having a hub provided with a polygonal bore fitted on the polygonal end of the shaft,'a 'spacer sleeve having a polygonal bore alsofitted on the polygonal end of the shaft, a supporting :sleeve of r the same exterior shape and size as the polygonal end of the shaft fitted inthe-'spacer sleeve, a second ground working implement fitted on the 'spporting sleeve against the spacer sleevem second spacersleeve fitted on the supporting:s1eeve against: the second ground working. implement,- and =an assembly screw ex tending through 'the spacer sleeves and the sup porting sleeve and threaded-into the tiller shafti 2; In= a-r0tary iti1ler -unit, a rotatable tiller shaft having aninternally-'threaded-bore and a polygonal: terminal a ground -working implement having-a polygonal shaped hub fitted onthe shaft terminal," a spacer sleeve fitted on the shaft terminal against th' hub of the ground workingimplement,v a supporting sleeve-0f the same exte' rior shape and 'size as the-polygonal shaft and fitted into the spacer sleeve, a second ground working impl'ein'ent fitted on'the supporting sleeveat" an angle to -the-fir'st ground working implement, -'a second spacer sleeve fitted on the supportingsleeve=-against-- the second 4 ground working implement, an assembly screw extendinglohgitudinally through the spacer and sup-' porting sleevesand-'threadewinto the shaft, acollar'having a polygonal "outer 'face of the same size and shape as the supporting sleeve and shaft terminalrotatably'mounted-on the screw adjacent'to its 'he'ad'fiand a thirdground Working implement'fitted'on thecollar' at an 'angle'to the first'a'ndsecond ground working implements, said collar being 're'ceived"and fitted inthe second spacersleeve"'when said screw is threaded into the" 'shaft'."

ALLEN "O. ZORN.

REFERENCES CITED The" following references are of record in the file of this patent: 3

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,186,375 Burrows June 6,1916 1,744,597 Vasconcellos Jan. 21,- 1930 1,907,567 Paris May 9, 1933' 22561 220 Sjbgren Sept. 16, 1941 2,438,189 Seaman Mar, 23, 1948' 

